The Earthquake That Changed Everything
by jonsmom14
Summary: The earthquake of season 4 occurs in season 1 while the kids are on the trip with Oliver Trask. For my purposes, they went to Malibu instead of Palm Springs.
1. Chapter 1

This is my contribution for my own challenge of the earthquake occurring at another point in the series. For my purposes, the kids didn't go to Palm Springs, they went to Malibu. This is another of my crazy crossovers. This time OC and Diagnosis Murder. Don't worry, if you don't know the DM characters. You can still understand the story, but if you want to visualize who you're reading about, you can go here: .com/title/tt0105986/ . Also, there are a few episodes on you tube. It's fun, it's campy, and I liked the idea of Ryan meeting the Sloans…so there! ;)

Ryan knew that he had been more miserable in his life. The time that Dawn and her latest abusive boyfriend had left him home with Trey and took a week's vacation without leaving any food in the fridge came to mind; as did the night he spent in Juvie. However in that moment, Ryan was pretty sure that this day was comparable. Granted he was riding in a $70,000 luxury SUV, his belly was full from breakfast, and he didn't have any of those irritating holes in his new socks; but he was miserable none-the-less. At this very moment that misery had a name: Oliver Trask.

Ryan's girlfriend, Marissa, had befriended the other teen at her psychiatrist's office. Which if that wasn't the reason to raise a red flag, Ryan didn't know what was. He wondered sometimes about Marissa's intelligence. But since she had also started dating a juvenile delinquent from Chino, Ryan didn't feel he had much to protest about.

No, Ryan's major problem with Trask was that the little punk was trying to steal Marissa. Take this weekend for example. Trask was showing off by inviting everyone to his family's beach house in Malibu. Ryan couldn't think of anything he'd like to do less. In fact, he had initially declined the invite, but Marissa had eventually talked him into coming – an action that he was beginning to regret more and more. He had sat in the back of the SUV with Luke Ward and listened to Oliver regale Marissa with elaborate stories of his travels in Europe. The worst part was that Marissa was eating this stuff up.

Ryan sighed and refocused his attention on the glass refrigerator that contained an enormous assortment of sodas and juices that Marissa was currently attempting to decide upon. He was reaching in to grab an orange soda when suddenly everything started shaking violently.

"Earthquake!" Ryan shouted as he instinctively slammed the door shut and threw himself over Marissa to keep her safe from the falling display of old-fashioned glass Coke bottles.

Ryan ignored the sudden pain that exploded in his back and instead continually whispered reassurances to a screaming Marissa.

As suddenly as the shaking started, it stopped. When Ryan raised his head, he saw that the store was in shambles. Shelves were emptied of their products, and several were tipped into each other like dominos. There was debris from the drop ceiling all over the floor, and fine dust was floating in the rays of sun that provided the only light to the store.

"Is everyone okay?" A man's voice asked from the other side of the store.

There was a moment of hesitation before Ryan heard Seth's voice answer. "I think so. Ryan? You guys okay?"

Ryan looked down into Marissa's frightened eyes. "Are you hurt?" He whispered.

"Just bruised I think. Thanks." Marissa replied.

Summer and Seth appeared from around the side of one of the shelves. "Marissa?" Summer was holding a bleeding cut on her arm.

"Oh! Summer, are you okay?" Marissa demanded, pulling away from Ryan and hurrying over to her injured friend.

Seth, meanwhile, helped Ryan to stand. Ryan swayed dangerously for a moment before gaining his balance. "Dude, are you okay?" He asked while looking in amazement at the amount of broken glass in the floor.

Ryan was about to inform Seth of his injury when he heard Luke call out from the front of the store. "I could use some help here!"

"Be right there man!" Seth declared, hurrying away.

Ryan sighed and then winced at the stabbing pain the action brought to his back. He slowly made his way down the aisle rather than try to make it passed Marissa and Summer, who were still blocking the way. He was about to round the towering display of stacked drinks at the end when he spotted Oliver sitting in the floor next to the platform they were on. He only had a moment to see the cruel smile before he realized that Trask had tilted the display, and now all the boxes of full aluminum cans were toppling over right towards a pregnant woman!

Ryan wasted no time before rushing towards the woman and pushing her out of the way. The last thing he remembered was seeing the shocked face of a blond man as he caught the woman and then exploding pain in his head and back.

The emergency room at Community General was flooded with casualties, and more were coming in every minute. Every available doctor was helping out so it was Dr. Mark Sloan, head of internal medicine, who grabbed the side of the gurney containing a blond teen. An oxygen mask covered the boy's face, but it was obvious that he was unconscious.

"What do you have?" Mark demanded.

"Male, 16, hit by a falling display in a convenience store. He's been unconscious for approximately thirty minutes. BP 92/60, pulse 121. His belly is distended, and he has decreased breathing on his right side. A dislocated right shoulder, shard of glass shoved in his back at the location of his left kidney and of course a head injury are also evident." A familiar voice answered from behind him.

Mark turned to see his colleague, Dr. Jesse Travis standing behind him. Normally a well dressed and clean young man, the head of the ER at Community General was covered from head to toe in dust and he had scratches on his hands and arms.

"Jesse! Are you alright?" Mark asked as he and the other doctor hurried into the exam room behind the gurney.

"I'm fine. It's all just superficial. Mark, this kid saved Amanda. There was a huge display that was going to fall on her when he pushed Amanda out of the way." Jesse explained.

"Where's Amanda?" Mark asked, beginning his own examination of the teen.

"She's getting checked out to make sure that the baby is safe. She'll be here as soon as she's done. Amanda wanted me to stay with the kid." Jesse informed his mentor.

Mark grimaced as he turned the teen over and caught his first view of the glass wound. It was an ugly injury. The glass had made a jagged cut along his back before thrusting deeply into the boy's kidney area. "Call upstairs and have them prepare an OR. I wish this boy would wake up, but I'm worried about the damage to his kidney. Do you know his name? Has anyone contacted his parents?"

"He's a foster kid named Ryan Atwood. His foster brother was calling the guardians. They live in Newport so it'll be a while." Jesse explained as he ordered blood work.

"We'll get the approval from them when they get here, but Ryan doesn't have time to wait if he wants to keep his left kidney." Dr. Sloan declared.

Jesse nodded soberly. "I'll assist."

"Then let's go scrub in Doctor." Mark declared with determination animating his twinkling blue eyes.

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

There was a steady beep disrupting the silence in the room. Sandy sighed heavily and sat down in the chair beside the hospital bed. He ran his eyes over his foster son's injured body. Ryan's right arm was back in its socket and strapped tightly to his chest. It seemed so surreal that just twenty-four hours ago Ryan and Seth were going on a weekend getaway with their friends. Now Ryan was in the hospital and facing charges for assault with a deadly weapon.

Sandy sat up straighter when he heard his ward begin to groan and move around slightly. The soft "ping" of the handcuff that attached his left wrist to the bed rail caused Ryan to freeze. Startled blue eyes shot open and Ryan glanced around anxiously.

"What?" Ryan's voice was gravely and hoarse.

Sandy had intended to ask Ryan how he was feeling, but he was too frustrated with the circumstances to think rationally. "Why did you do it?"

"Huh?" Ryan asked, still disoriented while he examined the foreign object attached to his wrist.

"You had a new start. You had everything that money can buy. Why would you try to hurt Oliver like that?" Sandy demanded harshly.

Surprised at his foster father's furious tone, Ryan could only stare.

"I tried Ryan. I really wanted to be a father to you, but I'm too busy working as your lawyer!" Sandy growled. "I don't see how I'm going to keep you out of Juvie this time. So what if Oliver was friends with Marissa? You had no business trying to hit him with an entire display of soda! You could have killed that woman!" Sandy rambled on.

Ryan's eyes narrowed. It didn't take much to figure out what was going on. Oliver must have told everyone that he was the one to push the display over. Ryan could almost expect the little weasel to pull something like this. No, what was shocking was the fact the Sandy just believed this kid he's never met over Ryan!

"Maybe the courts will be lenient since you did save Dr. Bentley in the end…"

"Get out." Ryan interrupted softly.

"What?" Sandy asked, startled.

"Leave. Now." Ryan answered coldly.

"Ryan we have to discuss your case." Sandy argued.

"What's to discuss? You just accepted the word of a total stranger without asking the guy who's been living with you for months…just because he has a trust fund. I don't need a lawyer like that so get the hell out!" Ryan exclaimed angrily.

Sandy narrowed his eyes. "Fine! You're on your own."

"I always have been!" Ryan shot back as Sandy slammed out of the room.

It had been two days since the scene between Sandy and Ryan. It was also the last time Ryan had spoken to anyone except the police and his doctors – and not much to them.

Dr. Mark Sloan walked into the doctors lounge and sat down on the couch with a deep sigh. Amanda and Jesse, who had been enjoying a quick break, watched the white-haired man with concern.

"Ryan still not talking?" Amanda asked softly.

Mark frowned and shook his head. "It's like he's just given up. Which with what has happened to him within the last year, I can't say I blame him."

"What do you mean?" Dr. Jesse Travis asked, sitting down next to the older doctor.

"I asked Steve to check into his record for me. Ryan was arrested six months ago for accessory to grand theft auto. He got in a car that his gun-wielding, drug-carrying brother was stealing. That's apparently when he met Sandy Cohen, public defender. He was put on probation. Then Ryan's mother threw him out once he got home. Ryan called Sandy and asked for help. He's been living with them ever since. Now there's another kid saying that Ryan pushed the display over so that he, Oliver, would be hurt." Mark explained.

"Which makes no sense." A deep voice chimed in from the doorway.

The three doctors looked up to see Mark's son, Steve Sloan walk into the room. Steve was a big man, with golden blond hair. His California good looks had been useful many times when he needed to gather information on his many cases as a homocide detective for the LAPD.

"What do you mean, Son?" Mark asked.

Steve shrugged. "When you asked me to check on this Atwood kid, I decided to look a little further into the situation. Since the witness is claiming that this was an attempted homocide, it can technically fall into my jurisdiction. So I asked for the case."

"So what have you found out?" Amanda asked.

"Just that I believe that your patient is innocent and that Oliver Trask is a very skilled liar." Steve declared. "The problem is proving it."

"If only the cameras hadn't been knocked out by the earthquake." Mark grumbled.

"What makes you say that the Trask kid is a good liar?" Jesse wanted to know.

"He's got everyone of his friends, including Ryan's foster brother, believing that Ryan was out to get him." Steve shook his head in exasperation. "I've spoken with all of them, and the only one who doesn't believe that Ryan pushed over that display is Luke Ward. He claims that if Ryan wanted to hurt Trask, he would have just hit him. Turns out he's the one that would know. Ward got into several fights with Ryan when Ryan first arrived in Newport."

"Then wouldn't he be glad Ryan was in trouble?" Mark asked.

"Turns out they're friends now thanks to Ryan standing up for him when Ward's father came out of the closet." Steve replied.

"Then couldn't this Ward kid vouch for him?" Amanda asked.

"Unfortunately, they were fighting over Marissa Cooper, Luke Ward's former girlfriend and Ryan's current. The kids all say that Ryan would attack Oliver because of Marissa." Steve disagreed.

"What does Marissa Cooper say?" Mark questioned.

Steve snorted derisively. "She's wallowing in self-pity and vodka at the moment. I took great pleasure in sighting her for underaged drinking. Nothing will come of it, but her boyfriend's in the hospital and she's too busy feeling sorry for herself and nursing Trask."

"That's right, he got released yesterday." Mark commented. "Jesse, didn't you treat him?"

"Yeah, for a shallow cut to his torso and a slightly deeper one to the palm of his right hand. It' was barely worth the stitches I put in there. I hate to say it, but I enjoyed ordering him a Tetenus. He milked it for all it was worth. You would have thought I worked to save _his_ kidney!" Jesse scoffed. "He just kept complaining that he could have bled to death while waiting for a doctor."

"Could have bled to death…" Mark mused out loud.

The other three shared a knowing look.

"Dad?" Steve asked.

"Jesse, did you take a blood sample of Oliver?" Mark asked.

"Sure, I was checking his blood count since he complained so much." Jesse nodded.

"Steve, I don't suppose you could give me a ride out to that convenience store could you?" Mark asked.

"Sure, but they've cleaned it up by now." Steve cautioned.

Mark winced, but determination calmed his features. "Still, maybe they didn't get rid of the display platform."

Steve shrugged. "It's worth a try. What are you looking for?"

Mark winked. "I'll tell you if I find it."

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

"If you are acquitted, do you want to see if the Cohens will take you back?" Marcia, Ryan's social worker, asked.

"No. Please, I – I can't go back there." Ryan whispered painfully. He felt hot, and a knawing pain was eating at his back.

"Were you harmed in any way?" Marcia asked, alert. She would be surprised, but she also knew that abuse didn't just happen in the poorer areas.

"No, nothing like that. I don't fit in there. I will never fit in there." Ryan shook his head. "It doesn't matter anyway. Everyone believes the trust fund kid over the delinquent."

Marcia bit her lip at her charge's defeated words. As much as she wanted to argue with him, she knew that he was telling the truth. She also knew that it was the driving reason behind Ryan refusing to return to Newport.

"Just put me in a group home, or juvie. I don't care anymore. Anywhere but Newport." Ryan stated fatalistically.

This was the scene that Mark and Steve interrupted. Steve quickly moved to Ryan's side and unlocked the handcuffs. "I'll be taking those." He announced triumphantly.

Ryan immediately pulled his arm up to his chest and flexed his hand. "What's going on?" He asked in confusion.

"You have officially been fully exonerated for the attempted murder of Dr. Amanda Bentley and Oliver Trask." Steve informed the teen.

Ryan hid a wince at the sharp pain in his back and instead looked at the detective questioningly. "How did that happen?"

"A blood sample." Mark answered. "When I heard the events surrouding the attack, I began to wonder how you could have had the strength to push over those boxes with your injuries. Then Dr. Travis, who ended up treating Mr. Trask after finishing your operation, described Oliver's injuries. He had a shallow cut on his torso, but a much deeper one on his right hand – the palm of his right hand."

Mark continued explaining. "Jesse and Amanda said there was glass all over the floor that day. They both had multiple cuts and scrapes. In fact, all of you did – except for Oliver Trask. The only way he could have avoided being hit was if he were behind something very tall and thick – like the diplay of boxed sodas."

"But you said that he did get cut. He was treated for it." Marcia pointed out.

"Yes, but only those two specific cuts. Once the earthquake was over, Dr. Travis said everyone was shouting to each other who needed help and who was unhurt. Oliver was desparate to gain sympathy and attention from Miss Cooper, so he picked up a piece of glass and reached under his jacket to slice his torso. This caused him to also slice the palm of his hand. Unfortunately for Mr. Trask, his hand was bleeding when he reached under the display platform, which had been weakened by the earthquake, and toppled it over just when Ryan was rounding the corner." Mark finished with a flourish. "His blood stain was still on the bottom of the platform. It matched his blood sample taken when he was at the hospital."

"When Trask was confronted with the evidence, he confessed to everything." Steve finished with his deep voice.

Ryan closed his eyes in relief. He had just known that jail was in his future this time. "So what happens now?" He asked softly.

"Now, young man, you concentrate on getting healthy again…" Mark looked closer at his patient. "Ryan? Are you alright?" He asked as he leaned over and felt the teen's forehead. "No, you're not." He answered his own question. He reached over and hit the nurse call button. "This is Dr. Sloan. I need assistance immediately!" He declared when the nurse answered.

Mark was already turning Ryan so that he could see the incision when two nurses came hurrying into the room. "Call upstairs. Have them prep an OR stat!" Mark ordered as soon as he saw the angry red wound.

"Doctor?" Marcia asked tentatively.

"His kidney is infected. It was a concern when he was first brought in." Mark answered her. He helped Ryan relax back again and ran a hand across the boy's head as he looked steadily into those scared blue eyes. "You're going to be okay, Ryan. I promise. I'm going to have to go back in and do what I can to clean out the infection."

Ryan swallowed hard and nodded before closing his eyes and wincing at the hot, stabbing pain that shot through his back.

A young nurse came running through the door. "The OR is ready and the Anasthesiologist will meet us there."

"Then let's get rolling." Mark ordered as he made his way around to help shift Ryan onto the gurney that was now being wheeled into the room. It was short work before Ryan found himself staring up at the quickly moving ceiling tiles of the hallway. Before he knew it, he was in a very cold and sterile room.

"Okay Ryan, I need you to breathe deep and count backwards from 100." A man in a mask instructed.

"Hang in there son, you're going to be fine." Mark's words were the last that Ryan heard before everything went black.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for all the great reviews and support! …and now for the last chapter…

Chapter 4

"What have you got?"

Everyone looked up when the young doctor came into the operating room already scrubbed and ready.

"She was a victim in a car accident. Her leg was caught in the wreckage, and we thought we were just dealing with a regular patch and set job; but the bone sliced through the anterior tibial artery and we need your expertise Dr. Sloan."

Blue eyes narrowed as the vascular surgeon examined the bleed for himself before he rapidly began shouting out orders and saving his patient from bleeding to death. Once the bleed was stopped and the leg set, Dr. Sloan breathed a sigh of relief and gave a final nod at his fellow doctors who moved to finish up closing the wound.

"I heard you paged. Everything go okay?" A familiar voice asked from behind him as the young doctor made his way towards the doctor's lounge.

Ryan turned and grinned at one of his best friends. Despite their age, Dr. Jesse Travis had become something of a favorite uncle and big brother wrapped up in one person. "Yeah, had to sew together an anterior tibial artery. What's for lunch?"

Jesse chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing in the cafeteria if I can help it! I don't see how you and Steve can stand that slop."

"You just don't understand how bad food can really be. You would learn to appreciate when it's edible." Ryan argued as he led the way into the lounge and poured a cup of coffee.

"What you and I find edible are two completely different things." Jesse shook his head as he poured his own cup.

Ryan chuckled and took a sip.

It was amazing how life had turned out, Ryan mused as he half listened to Jesse ramble about edible and inedible palates. Ten years ago, he had been a patient in this very hospital, freshly exonerated but with nowhere to go. Then Mark Sloan had stepped in. Ryan had been afraid that he was going to end up in another Newport situation where everyone looked down at the delinquent from Chino and expected him to fail; but it hadn't been like that at all.

Mark had gone one step farther in making a home for Ryan than the Cohens – and it made all the difference. After a year of visits, paperwork and living under a magnifying glass, Ryan Atwood had become Ryan Atwood Sloan. He now had a father who was there for him and listened, and a big brother who looked out for him and protected him. Ryan wasn't alone anymore.

And to think, it never would have happened if not for a feisty mama-to-be Head of Pathology…

Ryan was laying in the hospital bed following the emergency surgery to his left kidney. Unfortunately it had been too far gone to save, but Dr. Sloan had assured him that people lived perfectly normal lives with one kidney. Dr. Sloan had also tried to talk Ryan into a guardianship, but the cynical teen was quick to turn him down. He just knew it would be "second verse, same as the first."

A knock on the door caught his attention. A smiling Amanda Bentley walked – or actually waddled – into the room. "There's my hero." She declared. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Ryan replied automatically. "I'm not a hero." He corrected her.

Amanda's smile became a determined frown and she sat down in the vacant chair next to his bed. "Concidering the fact that I'm alive and so is my baby-to-be, I'd say that makes you a hero."

Ryan sighed and nodded just to avoid the argument.

Amanda was quiet for a short time. "Mark told me that he offered to become your guardian."

Ryan looked at her warily and nodded.

"He also said that you turned him down." Amanda continued softly. "Why?"

"Dr. Sloan may think that he wants to take me in, but he'll just quit when something bad happens – just like the Cohens, and just like…" Ryan swallowed hard.

"Just like your mom?" Amanda gently finished for him.

Ryan closed his eyes and fought the moisture that was gathering there before he nodded. "Yeah."

Amanda reached out and took Ryan's left hand. "My husband was killed in action overseas three months ago." She began.

Ryan looked at her startled.

"This baby is all that I have left of him." Amanda continued sadly. "He is what has kept me going despite the heartbreak and grief. I have had to concentrate on staying healthy for our son's sake. It would have killed me if anything had happened to him that day of the earthquake."

Amanda's eyes stared hard into Ryan's. "You risked your own life to save a complete stranger that day. You had no idea that I was carrying my dead husband's son. You had no idea that the famous Dr. Mark Sloan was like a father to me."

"It was the right thing to do." Ryan whispered.

"It was the right thing to do." Amanda repeated. "It takes a really strong person to do the right thing in that situation. It also takes a really good person. That's why Mark was so adamant that you were innocent. No one tries to kill a rival one second and then risk their life for a total stranger the next. You're a great kid Ryan Atwood, and you've had a lousy hand in life. I know what that's like."

"Is this where you tell me that I should accept Dr. Sloan's offer?" Ryan scoffed sarcastically.

Amanda's hand tightened on h is and her eyes narrowed. "Don't you take that tone with me young man." She scolded.

"Sorry." Ryan apologized quickly, startled by the rebuke.

Amanda's eyes softened. "I've heard that you're pretty smart – you'd have to be to go to private school in Newport."

"Yeah, so? It was the reason Sandy even bothered with me." Ryan shrugged angrily. "He saw my test scores.

"Even so, there is one thing that you haven't figured out yet, and I won't think you're all that bright until you do." Amanda continued.

"What's that?" Ryan asked, curious despite himself.

"You can't do this alone." Amanda stated.

"I – I don't have any other choice." Ryan replied softly. "I hear what you're saying, but you just don't understand."

"I was ten years old when I went into foster care." Amanda retorted.

Ryan's eyes widened in surprise.

Amanda smirked. "What, did you think that you were the only one to get a raw deal? I bounced around from place to place until I turned sixteen. That's when I met Martina Bentley. She had been carrying her groceries to her car when I saw one of the neighborhood gang members approach her. I yelled out that the cops were coming and it scared him away. I didn't think much of it, but Mama Bentley did. Next thing I knew, the group home director where I was staying came in my room and told me that I had a visitor. Two days later I'm living in a three bedroom home in the nicer part of town and Mama Bentley is talking adoption. That day turned my entire life around."

"So now you suddenly think that Dr. Sloan could do the same for me? Sandy already tried." Ryan disagreed.

"There is one major difference between Mark Sloan and Sandy Cohen that you're forgetting." Amanda pointed out.

"What's that?" Ryan asked.

"Mark doesn't expect you to change."

Ryan opened his mouth and then closed it quickly as those words infiltrated his brain.

Those six words turned his entire life around. Ryan agreed to a trial guardianship that a year later turned into a full adoption. Steve taught his new brother to surf, and Ryan found a joy in learning new recipes with his father. Mark and Steve had both been very empathetic to Ryan's feelings when Dawn and Frank signed over custody. Instead of private school, Ryan was enrolled in a good public school and took full advantage of his opportunities. There had been the ups and downs of girlfriends, broken rules, and even the occasional fight – but the older Sloans had dealt with them all fairly and even-handedly. Ryan never doubted he could come to his father or brother with any problem.

"Earth to Ryan!" A familiar voice pulled him out of him memories.

Ryan startled and glanced over at Jesse. "Sorry, you were saying?"

"You okay?" Jesse asked with concern.

"Yeah, just remembering some things." Ryan smiled.

"Good things I hope." Jesse continued.

"Mostly." Ryan replied vaguely before starting out of the room and towards the nurses' station in the ER. "Everything slow for now?"

"Yeah, we had a car accident victim earlier that you worked on, but it's been mostly broken arms and flu symptoms this afternoon." Jesse informed him as they walked down the hall. "Why people don't get their shots is beyond me…"

"Mr. Cohen?" A doctor was standing at the door to the waiting room. He was still dressed in scrubs.

Sandy, Seth and Summer stood quickly. "Yes?"

"Mr. Cohen, your wife is going to be fine."

Sandy breathed a sigh of relief. He had been scared to death since he got the call that Kirsten had been in a car accident while on her buying trip. After Caleb had lost the Newport Group due to shady business transactions, Kirsten had followed through on her life-long dream and opened her own art gallery. There was a new artist in LA who had interested her.

It had been a rough ten years since the last time they were at this hospital. Caleb's legal problems and then his death, Kirsten's drinking, Seth's drugs, and then his own legal problems when he attempted to save the Newport Group. Fortunately, everything had worked out in the end. Seth and Kirsten were now clean, and Seth was engaged to his long-time crush, Summer Roberts. Seth was now a reasonably successful comic book designer while Summer owned her own fashion boutique that she ran with her sometimes sober best friend, Marissa. No one had seen Oliver Trask again after he was sentenced to Juvenile Hall for attacking Dr. Bentley. Marissa, who had flunked out of UC Berkley, even lived over the shop when she was in between husbands…which she was at the moment. Sandy couldn't remember if this was number four or five. That girl definitely took after her mother.

The doctor's voice pulled Sandy out of his musings.

"She had a compound fracture of the right tibia. We had to call in our vascular surgeon to repair the artery, which had been sliced by the bone. Fortunately, Dr. Sloan is one of the very best in his field." The doctor informed them.

Now there was a name that Sandy Cohen would never forget. He would also never forget the day that Marcia Carter came to their house and took all of Ryan's personal things. Kirsten had tried to talk her into bringing the items that the Cohens had bought, but Marcia said that Ryan only wanted his backpack and what was in it. She then informed them that Ryan had specifically requested that he not be returned to Newport under any circumstances.

Sandy had tried to argue that he was just distraught. That's when Marcia had told them just how serious Ryan was.

"He asked that he be sent back to Juvie before coming here."

Marcia's words were burned into Sandy's brain – along with the name Mark Sloan, the man that he later found out had taken over as Ryan's foster father.

Sandy wondered if Dr. Sloan knew what had ever become of his former client. He also wondered how long Ryan had lasted in the doctor's home.

"We'll have Mrs. Cohen in a private room within the next hour. You may go see her then." The doctor's words broke through Sandy's thoughts.

"Thank you." Sandy replied softly.

It had been 12 hours since Kirsten's surgery, and she was resting comfortably. Sandy was on a mission. He had to know what happened to Ryan.

"Dr. Sloan! Can you sign off on these discharge papers for Mr. Gallant?"

Sandy perked up when he heard the name and started around the corner of the hallway. At the nurse's station was a blond man with his back to Sandy who was writing on a clipboard. Sandy sighed in defeat. There was no way that young man was old enough to be Mark Sloan. He was about to turn the other way when a female voice shouted down the hallway.

"Ryan Atwood Sloan! You are in big trouble mister!"

Sandy's eyes widened in shock and he whirled to see a small woman walk up to the doctor and place her hands on her hips.

Ryan raised both hands in surrender and took a step back. "Amanda, I can explain…"

"You'd better!" She declared, poking his chest with a perfectly manicured finger. "You promised me that I could help you pick out Allison's ring when you decided to pop the question. Imagine my surprise when I see a ring on her finger – one that I know I did not help you shop for!"

"I'm sorry, Amanda. I know I promised, but I was at the jewelry store with Dad. He was getting a watch fixed. I just thought I'd glance over and see what they looked like. I never intended to see it just sitting there! I knew that it was the ring for Allison, and I was scared that someone else would buy it before you could come back with me." Ryan stammered.

Amanda's eyes narrowed and she huffed out in anger. "Darn it Ryan, I just can't stay mad at that! You just had to go all romantic didn't you?"

Ryan smiled and tried to look sheepish. Amanda laughed and threw her arms around the younger man. "Congratulations! She's a wonderful girl!"

"Thanks Amanda." Ryan replied softly as he returned the hug.

Amanda stood back. "So what do Mark and Steve think about you moving out of the house? You _are_ moving out of the house, right?"

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Of course I am! Actually, they're both fine with it. Allison and I close on the house next door on Tuesday."

Amanda's eyes widened in shock. "Are you serious? You bought the house next door? How does Allison feel about living next door to the in-laws?"

Ryan shrugged. "She said if it were anyone but Dad and Steve she'd pitch a fit, but she was fine with them. Steve and I have been teaching her to surf!"

Amanda raised an eyebrow. "And that enthusiasm has nothing to do with seeing your gorgeous fiancé in a bikini?"

Ryan had the decency to look a bit sheepish. "Maybe, but she's getting really good."

"You boys and your surfing…" Amanda grinned and shook her head in exasperation.

"Did someone mention surfing?"

Amanda and Ryan turned to see Jesse and Mark coming up behind them.

Ryan's eyes lit up. "Hey Dad! We were just talking about how well Allison is doing."

Mark draped a casual arm over his son's shoulders and nodded. "She has spent more time upright on the board lately." He chuckled. "Jesse and I were just heading out for lunch. Would you two care to join us?"

"That sounds perfect." Amanda replied happily.

The four doctors left without noticing the man standing just at the corner of the hall. Sandy no longer needed to talk to Mark Sloan. He had seen how well Ryan was doing for himself. As he turned and headed back to Kirsten's room, he couldn't help but be thankful that things had turned out the way they had. Despite the fact that he knew he'd missed out on something special with Ryan, Sandy was glad the young doctor had been there to save Kirsten. Maybe that earthquake so long ago happened for a good reason.

Finis!


End file.
